Time and One's Mind
by Dark Glass Marionette
Summary: Mild AR. There's nothing more that gets to the human mind more than time, rendering it without strength. One dream, two people, countless deaths: with time, it gets to one's mind... with time, Rebecca Chambers will know what it means to be strong.
1. Chapter I: Evolution

**Author'****s Note: **A short story whilst I keep building up ideas for DoU. Alright, this is going to be a three-shot, based on some real-life experiences that I thought would help put down; not the first part though, we weren't in the outbreak (and by that 'we', you can expect me to address you, KT xDDD) First chapter came out a bit long, but I guess you don't mind; oh, and by the way, this first chapter is AR, some things have been changed for the story's sake.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters.  
_Note: This took me ages to write due to time issues. I hope you can forgive me, me friend (*glares at KT*)._**

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__****Resident Evil: Time and One's Mind**

I

Evolution

_'Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.' Bernardette Devlin_

"Come on, come on! Move it!"

She couldn't stop running, Chris' commands pounding in her ears without relent. Rebecca had only one purpose in mind: to get to safety, and she was determined to find haven in whatever place she and her companions could find. She was on the brink of exhaustion, legs pumping with adrenaline, heart racing in her chest. The crack of fire in front and behind her, the moans and groans of the hungry zombies, the emissaries of death, carnage and bloodlust: it was all of a too great magnitude than the mansion had been in itself that fear was the only guide she clung to, hoping it would lead her out of the light-less, burning hell that now was Raccoon City. The gun in her hand, though almost full, gave her no reassurance, no consolation: it was on herself she had to rely.

"Reload!" she heard Jill exclaim as she stole a glance backwards. Chris kept firing, his accuracy the best one, covering the entrance to the apartment block that they'd chosen to take shelter in, and Rebecca finally found herself at a bit of easiness: they had made it. But it wasn't until a strong current of wind went past her and something hard bumped into her that she banished those thoughts from her mind: when she looked up from the asphalt, feeling how blood was seeping from her cuts again, Rebecca found a furious Cerberus baring its teeth at her, jaws drooling and ready to kill. Out of instinct she moved away from it, guided by fear, no rationality left in that hellish place, and she couldn't raise her handgun in time before the ferocious dog leaped at her.

She would've thought many times that she was going to die: now, it was the true one, the final one.

That's what she kept thinking until a loud gunshot cracked from behind her, the Cerberus whimpered and this time, Rebecca sidestepped to avoid being knocked down by the dog's weight. All of a sudden, cold hands reached to touch her face from behind her, the scent of decay and death powerful in the air, and Rebecca swivelled around, gun trained on hungry zombies that wanted her as prey. And now, she fired, putting all her skills to use; not only her skills with guns and accuracy, but skills of the mind, psychological skills: keep calm, cool head, focus, concentrate... All of those synonyms seemed alien to her now but they were her only solution to get out of there, her only escape. As well as she could, Rebecca disposed of the zombies, hitting as many as she could in the head, stepping back as she fired.

"Dry!" Chris stated atop the wave of moans. "I'm out!" Without thinking, Rebecca reached for her utility belt, taking a magazine from the strap, half-spun around and tossed the magazine to Chris, who took it ipso facto. With the quickness that she expected from him, he slammed it home and kept firing, this time aiming more carefully to save ammunition. "Go on, get inside!"

_Finally!_

Rebecca didn't hesitate: she followed Jill inside, going in as fast as she could but almost tripping over a pile of debris and scattered pieces of furniture. Regaining her composure in seconds, Rebecca turned once again, gun trained on the entrance, and Chris made his way inside, stopping at midway to hold the door in place, a task to which Rebecca had gotten to the same moment Chris had stepped inside the building. It wasn't difficult to fight the zombies and keep them at bay but, for Rebecca, it proved to be otherwise. It wasn't because of the strength the zombies had (_Really?_), but because of the memories it brought back.

It all reminded her of how long she and Richard had stayed at the mansion, fending off zombies and holding closed a door the same way she was doing it now. Richard was almost bitten by a pair of zombies and Rebecca's stomach had wretched when she'd smelt the scent of decay and death... just like it wretched right then, that day, September 28th, 1998. Pushing as hard as she could, she allowed her mind to drift away so that she didn't focus voluntarily on her obligations, so that she could do it without being aware of what she was doing, until a voice broke her silence.

"Rebecca, move!" When she wanted to notice, Chris had stuck a chair under the door's handle, keeping it from opening. Rebecca couldn't believe it: they had made it, not without exhausting efforts. The drums of death, the bangs of the zombies against the door, kept resonating throughout the building, warning them of the Emissary's coming to reap their lives with its scythe. That was the worst of it all.

"Hey, Rebecca!"

She was brought back to reality by a voice, only it wasn't neither Forrest's or Richard's, but Chris'. She blinked rapidly, catching a glimpse of him looking at her, hands on her shoulders in a comforting but persistent way. "Rebecca, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, sorry," she apologized, nodding, and Chris did the same.

"It's alright: just keep your guard up," he replied, shaking his head, and both of them looked at the door to check it. It was still closed, though it vibrated and almost menaced to give in with every bang of the dozen of zombies on the other side of it. A knot caught in Rebecca's stomach: she prayed for them not to get in. "Come on, let's meet up with Jill. She's on the first floor."

They found Jill, as Chris had said, in the first floor, two rooms past the door to the staircase. The room they entered in was still well lit, all seemingly in a good state, and Jill was setting up a place to rest with a few mattresses and cushions she had apparently found there. Rebecca examined the room well: nothing was out of place save for what Jill had worked with, leading her to think no zombies had been there and the people had been able to evacuate the building safely. Where they were... that was a question to which she had no answer.

"Hey," Jill greeted, straightening herself. Rebecca frowned at how pale Jill was, all high-lighted by the patches of caked blood and dirt on her legs and arms, only a few smears of the crimson substance on her face. She looked weary, ready to welcome slumber, but she was holding on to stay awake.

"Everything okay?"

Jill shrugged, nodding weakly. "Yeah, no problems here. The zombies didn't make it inside this building; the people were evacuated to Raccoon University, and the virus hasn't spread to this part of the city... too much, save for the ones we encountered down there. I've checked the entire floor, all the rooms, and I've found nothing and nobody here. We can thank the distance between the center of the city and this area; the zombies weren't smart enough to get inside."

"And since the virus isn't airborne, I'd bet all of this isn't infected," Rebecca piped up, "though be careful. You don't know what you can find."

"Appearances tend to deceive," Jill agreed, and how well they knew it was like that. After taking one last look around her, Rebecca asked,

"Is anyone injured?"

"Mine are just a few scratches," Jill replied, nodding in reassurance. Rebecca could see there was nothing of importance -not of too much importance- but those scratches had to be cleaned as soon as possible. She looked at Chris, who had his forearm flipped around so that she could see it: there was a long but shallow gash on his skin, from his wrist to almost his elbow, still bleeding profusely.

"Mine's that one. Got it with... yes, the chair I used downstairs. Rusty piece of iron," he explained, succinct. Rebecca's senses heightened, a condition that was expected in every medic.

"Hell, that could get infected at any moment!" she exclaimed, almost gasping. "I'm tending to you to right now; let me get- Jill, have you checked if there were more supplies around here?"

"In the cabinet, the bathroom," she replied with a nod, and Rebecca proceeded inside said room. Once with the supplies in hand, she returned to the main room, where she found Chris and Jill having picked a place on one of the mattresses, waiting for her in silence.

"Okay, let's get down to it," stated Rebecca. "Jill, I'll tend to Chris' wound first; it's got a bigger risk of infection. In the meantime, clean your wounds as best as you can and I'll check them out once I'm done." Before Rebecca looked down to his wound, she saw Chris smile slightly.

"What happened to the 'ladies first' thing?" he piped up, and she noticed a tinge of complaint in his voice.

"Don't give me that," she chastised, good-natured, but then she fell silent, hesitant, as she prepared a clean cloth and alcohol. Whilst she cleaned the wound, Rebecca felt her expression changing, sudden sorrow clenching as a knot in her stomach as a familiar sentence came with a familiar voice.

_"__What's that about 'ladies first'?" _

"Rebecca?" Chris called, making her return to reality. Once more she'd been about to mistake Chris' voice for Edward's voice, even Richard's, but that hadn't happened even though they were still ringing in her ears.

When she met her companion's gaze, she saw a serious gleam in his eyes. "Don't be like that."

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, slightly taken aback by that statement -almost an order.

Chris hesitated at first, but then said, "Unfortunately, we're not S.T.A.R.S. anymore, so we're equals now. Even in the beginning, when you joined our team temporarily, there was no hierarchy between us, not even..." His voice faltered, but he continued talking, "not even with Wesker many times. Despite he was our captain once, you know we kept a very informal tone between us. Neither Jill or I are your superiors now, and we never were."

"We can take jokes, you know that," Jill intervened, not smiling, but there was still something reassuring in her countenance. Rebecca turned her attention to Chris again, frowning.

"Okay, I'm sorry."

Chris, this time, snorted a laugh. "And she apolo-ow!-gizes! You're a handful, let me tell you that."

"I've always been modest; I can't help it!" Rebecca shot back, applying a fresh gauze and proceeding to bandage Chris' arm. If he said something else later, she didn't know: Rebecca was concentrated on the task at hand, remembering the standard procedures to follow and alongside that... the first time she had healed a teammate's wound: Billy's. It seemed like being there, trapped by death and decay, made her recall moments she had long thought forgotten. With one last knot, she finished applying the bandage and said,

"How does it feel?"

Chris stretched his forearm and, for a few seconds, he remained in silence. "It's great. Very slack but also strong; I don't have any problems moving it." Rebecca allowed herself a small smile, feeling a bit sheepish, but then snapped out of it and turned her attention to Jill. She worked fast, finding many wounds superficial and not too bad, and there were still enough supplies left for them to carry on. At last, Rebecca tended to her own wounds with Chris' help whilst Jill laid down to rest.

Every single moment that went by was like a flashback to Rebecca, déjà vu almost, and remembering everything didn't help her gain any courage to pull through her current situation. Everyone she thought about -Richard, Forrest, Joseph, Edward- was dead, hopefully somewhere better, but she couldn't help thinking about herself suffering the same fate as them. She didn't like to consider herself as inexperienced: she had already gone through an outbreak -of a smaller scale- and now, she was pulling through another one of them, this one of greater magnitude.

That in itself was what scared her, what made her think she would perish there.

Since she had no hunger to make disappear, Rebecca switched the lights off and laid down in silence next to Chris, who took the space between her and Jill, and she stayed staring at the ceiling, letting her mind wander off. Where it wondered to, though, wasn't Wonderland: more flashbacks assailed her, and she was very surprised to see how unstable her mind was right now. Wasn't it time she showed a bit more of strength and resistance? Uneasy, Rebecca laid slightly on her side and looked at Chris. For a moment, she envied him: how could he remain so calm, so composed without signs of...?

_Trauma? I don't know the answer._

Rebecca turned her gaze away and sighed, her back to her companions. If it was time she showed some strength and resistance, then she would show it. What she sometimes didn't like to hear was that she'd do it for someone else, because of someone else: if something else happened, she wouldn't have anyone as her pretext or excuse.

This time, she would do it for herself, and only herself.

xx

_When she woke up, she was alone. _

_She was alone once more, but something was different. There was still someone with her in the room, someone she didn't know of, not until she caught sight of a silhouette sitting casually on a chair behind her. There was barely light, just the faint one that filtered through the gap of the door, but that was enough to see a gleaming object in the person's hand. A knot caught in her stomach and her eyes went wide beyond their limit when she noticed the object was a knife, a dangerous gleam in its blade. Rebecca glanced to her right, then up front again, wondering where Chris was. _

"_Where is he to save you...? Doesn't he disappoint?"_

_Rebecca's head perked up, her body tensing to the extreme, and she gasped unintentionally. __Wasn't that voice... Chris'? Rebecca felt herself shaking: what was Chris doing?_

_With adrenaline coursing through her system, she thought fast, thinking of a way to escape: her only chance was the door, but who seemed to be Chris was far nearer to it than she was. Slowly she rose to her feet, keeping a close eye on the silhouette in front of her. All of a sudden the lights were turned on and she was left blind, soon to be pinned against the nearest wall in a chokehold. Along with the blinding pain came the lack of oxygen, and struggling to free herself from his iron grip proved to be in vain. _

_Her vision swam in front of her eyes, no matter how much she tried to hold on to the life that was slipping away and free herself. In a desperate attempt to breathe, almost out of instinct, she looked at Chris... who was not Chris at all. A smirk adorned his features, a smirk that reminded Rebecca of someone she knew too well. _

This can't be happening! It's a-

"_A nightmare?" Chris' voice was close, too close, so much it sent powerful chills down Rebecca's spine and made her head spin. "This is no nightmare, hun: it's for real."_

_Her heart sped up. All of a sudden she could break free of his grasp, having lashed out her legs blindly at him but having hit no target. Regaining her breath at the same time as her balance, Rebecca dashed towards the door, heading down the staircase lightning-fast. A few steps down the set and she noticed something: it was her house, all like it used to be before she left. If that was the case, then Rebecca had the upper-hand: Chris had never been in her house and, as such, he didn't know the ways in and out. Though with the sound of her steps, it wasn't easy getting lost. _

_Steps behind her got closer by the minute, echoing through the whole building as she kept running, and Rebecca tried to escape through every door she found... and every single one was closed. She cursed out loud, rattling the handles of the doors she tried to open, and then finally turned to face Chris as he slowly went down the stairs, the knife still in hand. Words and screams didn't come out, only a half-emitted moan in disbelief that came from her own throat; Rebecca couldn't control the tremors in her hands and legs, fearing they would buckle under her and she wouldn't be able to move again. In fear, she rattled the door again, but it still didn't budge._

_And Chris was damnably close to her once more. Though feet away, his presence was overwhelming: she couldn't take it. In despair, she shook her head, trying to convince him of something else, repeating '_Don't'_ like a sickening mantra, '_Run' _like a prayer and '_Escape' _like an order. Before Chris could get any closer, Rebecca slipped past him and took the first corridor to her right, hoping it'd lead her to the door that itself lead to the back yard. Silence, though sometimes comforting, was like the song of death that played endlessly as she ran, giving her more energy in the form of fear to carry on. _

Run, run, RUN for your LIFE!_ Her mind was screaming, but Rebecca could barely keep her thoughts straight. One moment she was aware, the next it seemed like her body was moving on its own: it was a constant transition between one state and another, with intermediate ones that left her more confused every second that went by. Rebecca was about to reach for the door's handle when she tripped and fell with a loud thud, knocking her head against a leg of the central table and almost knocking things down. _

Run, run, KEEP RUNNING!

_But she couldn't, and she didn't continue running. Rebecca looked back, stunned, saw Chris standing at the door but he didn't get any closer. He didn't even seem to be looking at her, but when she could see better, she noticed his eyes were covered by shadows, a powerful gleam in them, merciless and cold. In disbelief, Rebecca remained paralyzed, unable to make a move._

_Then nothing happened. Nothing happened._

'Come on, Becca, wake up.'

_Richard._

_Nevertheless, she screamed._

XX

When she woke up, she wasn't alone.

Rebecca shot up from her position, beads of cold sweat trickling down her temples as her heart kept beating wildly in her chest. She remained panting in the dark, looking around in confusion in fear someone that wasn't Chris was there with her. Gradually, she calmed down; it took it her time, but she still did, and Rebecca buried her face in her hands. It had all been so real, so genuine, that it left her too shaken. For the first time in almost ages to her, she allowed tears to fall in silence. All of a sudden she felt someone beside her, felt warmth renewing hers and a long arm surrounding her shoulders. Rebecca didn't look up, kept curled up in a ball, but then sighed and nodded weakly in an attempt to convince herself, not the one who was beside her.

"Nightmares?" he asked, and Rebecca shook her head out of instinct. The last thing she needed was to worry him.

"Just... a restless sleep, that's all," she replied, dismissing his question, but then she heard Chris chuckling.

"And since when do restless sleeps show panic levels this high?" he asked her, shaking his head. "You don't lie well, just like me. Come on, I'm listening... unless you don't want to talk about it." Rebecca met Chris' gaze, hesitant, but then had to break contact.

"I... alright, I guess I can tell you," she agreed at last. "It was a nightmare, not just a simple restless sleep." She fell silent, waiting for some kind of comment coming from him. She got it, but not like the one she was expecting to hear.

"I knew it," he spoke with a light smile. "What happened in it?"

Rebecca took an inaudible deep breath, getting ready to relay the information. Just the thought of telling the nightmare and reliving it gave her the chills, but what about the promise she'd made before closing her eyes? No promises were in vain: they could be broken or kept. And she intended to keep it.

"Well, it all started as I woke up. I was alone, but I wasn't: I felt like... there was someone else with me. Jill wasn't in the room, you weren't there either, until I heard you... speaking to me in a tone that... that wasn't yours," Rebecca explained. "You talked of someone who was supposed to save me and that he was disappointing, and it was then that I noticed you-you were wielding a knife, your S.T.A.R.S. issue knife." A pause. "I panicked. I instantly knew you were going to kill me.

"I tried to run away, but you pinned me against the wall, strangling me. Just before I... was about to black out, you let me go. At this point I was panicking and ran as fast as I could. As I left this room, I found myself at my home's upper hall."

"Your home?"

Rebecca nodded. "That's the strange thing. Another one was that if it was supposed to be my home, I would be able to get away from you, but no door was open. I tried every single one of the doors available, but they were all locked or jammed. You were cornering me, I didn't... I didn't know what to do, and then I could give you the slip. I snuck into the kitchen, hoping I could take the door to the back yard, but then I tripped over my own foot and fell.

"I stayed on the ground, trembling, unable to move. What you did next somehow surprised me... well, the me in the dream: you stopped at the door, you didn't come in, but I had the feeling you were thinking of..."

Rebecca suddenly remembered her own scream and her hands trembled, her voice breaking. It was true that, for example, she feared being killed by a zombie or a BOW, but being killed by a teammate was something she didn't want to imagine. In that instant, she thought of her fallen Bravo teammates and friends, all indirectly killed by Alpha's captain Wesker; she thought of how they might possibly begged for one more chance.

"_Ya won't see me doin' that, kiddo."_

Those had been Joseph Frost's words whilst he'd been in her team. She'd just been admitted to Bravo when he would be promoted to Alpha team in three days' time. It had been a casual conversation, the one in which he'd said that, but it was something Rebecca didn't and wouldn't forget. All of a sudden, she felt something blooming in her chest; whether it was fear, anger or sorrow, she didn't know. What she knew was that it made her cry and mourn her lost friends for the umpteenth time.

"Hey, hey..."

Rebecca was tempted to shake her head and reject Chris' consoling gestures and words, but that would be unfair. He also knew what it meant to lose someone that way, so she wasn't anyone to push him away. She curled up into a ball, slightly rocking back and forth as she accepted everything Chris was doing for her.

"You know I wouldn't do that," she heard him say, "so don't let that get to you. This is also getting to me, you know, but I'm sure we'll make it." Though she found his words sincere, Rebecca couldn't get herself to believe them and, at her silence, he sighed. "Look, I'm not very good at analyzing things that involve this kind of but... See? I can't even find anything to say."

For once, Rebecca let out a chuckle. "Then there's no need to. I know what you want to say though, and I understand."

"I can't be a psychologist to save my life," Chris added, "but as much as it hurts me to say it, we have to try and forget about it. Not in the literal sense, you know that, but these memories will come and haunt us until... until we can't hold them off any longer and make our fears come to life." A pause. "Did I just say that?"

Rebecca lifted her head at his incredulous tone and smiled. "Not meant to be a psychologist, huh? I guess you understand more of other's minds-"

"Than your own," they said at the unison.

"That tends to happen," Chris agreed. "We're all in the same situation, so it's not uncommon to know more of the other than yourself. Rebecca, we're going to make it, I assure you."

"Never give up," she said, absentminded. "I just... I just think I can't make it. I'm not as experienced as you or Jill and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you getting where I think you're getting?" Chris suddenly piped up, half-teasing and half-serious. "Don't you dare say anything like that; besides, whilst we all have our merit, yours is very far from ours."

"You're kidding," Rebecca snapped, shaking her head hastily.

"I'm not; really, who do you take me for?" Chris looked indignant. "It's true: we all faced what Umbrella had unleashed. But whilst we were still in Raccoon City, you went through and fought everything that had caused that mess. Sometimes, and if you take it like this, the beginning of a tale is far worse than the climax or its end. To top it off, you went through most of it on your own, according to what you told us. We, on the other hand, encountered others along the way, just like I found you or I found Jill. Rebecca, don't underestimate yourself."

Rebecca considered his words. Aside from his tone, which was convincing and genuine, Rebecca had the feeling Chris had somehow humbled himself with those words; just by looking at him, one (like Rebecca had done) would notice he was a very proud man. Not willing to make any assumptions, Rebecca just accepted his message, finding solace in it and his company.

"I'll try not to," she said at last. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he replied, soothing his tone. "You weren't in the unit as long as Jill and I were, for example, and being so young doesn't... help much, if you allow me to say it."

"You're right about that, so I think I can be... proud of myself," she said, ginger. A comfortable silence ensued, one during which Rebecca allowed the weight to be lifted off her shoulders. Once more, Chris rubbed her left arm and nodded.

"You can," he agreed and what he said next helped Rebecca to gain more confidence than the one she already have. "Don't think that big leaps make us strong; it's step by little step that we gain that strength."

_"__And he's right."_

Rebecca was shocked to hear that voice, but she didn't show it. A friendly kind voice, one so familiar to her that she would recognize it anywhere, even if it was inside her mind. It was so real though... that she even thought the owner of the voice was there with her. A comforting hand on her head was all she felt before she perked her head up... and saw no-one there. Even so, she knew who had talked.

"_There was someone who once said '__What does not destroy me, makes me strong.' And like Chris said, you're still taking your steps. Take this as patronizing, but I would've said this had I been here with you. You're strong, whether you believe it or not."_

Rebecca lowered her gaze to the dark floor, Richard's voice still ringing in her ears. He was one to read loads of books, a young man with vast literary knowledge, and that quote had been said by John Milton; oh, how she remembered. She knew what to do.

This time, she would do it for herself and all those that had helped her.

There still were debts to pay.

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_A/N: Here ends the first part. I hope you like it, kiddo, 'cause I put a lot of effort into this, LOL! Anyway, here you go, and I hope it does some good^^_

_Reviews are appreciated!^^_


	2. Chapter II: Family

**Author's Note:** Finally I could get this ready. Sorry I took so long; I had a bad crisis of apathy and psychological stress. Anyway, I'd like to wish Catherine a Happy Belated Birthday and that she enjoys this day. I worked hard on this one, and I hope this makes up for the long wait. This continues four years later after the first chapter, so it's still a bit of an AU/AR thing xD Anyway, to Catherine... *raises glass* To you and to this day; happy birthday!^^

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters.**

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II

Family

_'Families are about love overcoming emotional torture.' Matt Groening_

**September 4th, 2002  
Ludington, Michigan**

This time, Jill drove and I remained in the passenger's seat; well, obviously the only place I could stay in aside from the trunk. As Jill had said too, I could've gone running behind them like a dog chasing cars; lovely sense of humor she has, eh?

It was one of those days when, if I must be honest, I realized how much of a family I had and needed. It might sound, uh, soppy but I guess you get my point. Thing is, we had arrived at Michigan a scant... three hours ago approximately, and before coming we'd already booked our stay at a nearby motel; we were going to stay there for a few days as a bit of a break. Why Michigan and not somewhere else? The reason was sitting on our back seat; that reason was Rebecca Chambers, our old friend and former S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team medic and someone who we hadn't seen for about four years, maybe even more.

We received the first call of hers after that long exactly a week ago. Though Jill and I are not people that will take a lot of breaks -considering our circumstances- we were actually thinking in leaving somewhere just to get some peace of mind. Out of coincidence, Rebecca phoned us the same moment the idea had crossed our heads, and it did lead us somewhere different from what we had in mind. We didn't know much about Rebecca -fortunately now we do- but what she had told us some more time ago was that she had grown up here, in Ludington, though she had been forced to attend and graduate from Raccoon's University due to lack of financial aid. When she phoned us, she told us it was the first time she was coming back home after aeons. What we didn't expect was for her to ask her to accompany us.

That week went by, then we were in Michigan.

During our drive to Rebecca's home, we came to know what she'd been up to all those years we hadn't heard from her. After that disastrous day in Raccoon City, she had decided to head off to Harvard, get back to studying and was currently still studying to acquire her Ph.D in Virology; she told us she was studying and preparing her thesis like crazy. I really couldn't imagine it being anyway else: I still remember my old friend Billy hanging out with me just to get rid of the psychological stress, but Rebecca had the upper hand there. To us, she'd always been a very particular whiz kid and with that kind of potential put to use, our point was always proven. Rebecca had also applied for a job at a research laboratory of the HST and with her Ph.D on the way and that bright mind of hers, we suspected she'd get the job ipso facto.

I looked at Rebecca through the right rear-view mirror. I found myself reminiscing the moments in our past when she was just a meek and nervous eighteen year old who was always willing to serve and please; now, she had gone through almost dramatic changes. The girl whose gaze was kind and tender was now hard and strong, a much more intense gleam in her bright hues that showed her inner strength, persistence and determination. Still, the same moment we saw each other, I saw her eyes ablaze with kindness and appreciation; in a way, she hadn't changed at all. Rebecca had also decided to keep her hair short like always and she even seemed taller; well, that might've been my sight.

"Jill, it's here."

Her much stronger voice snapped me out of my thoughts; for a moment I had thought she was referring to me, until I heard Jill's name. I drifted back to reality and caught a light waft of salt and dampness; we were getting near the coast of the lake and, consequently, near Rebecca's home. In fact, Jill parked the car in front of a house which, by the looks of it, seemed to have been recently done up, its front yard and porch giving off a very cozy feeling. It was then when I heard and saw Rebecca lighten up; not that she'd been serious the whole drive, but I could understand that feeling of nostalgia.

"They did up the house!" she exclaimed, chipper, as she stepped off the car. Jill and I exchanged a look before we imitated our friend, agreeing in one aspect: Rebecca, no matter what, was still Rebecca. "The last time I stepped foot around here, we had a bit of a rough patch fixing up the house after one of the worst snowstorms I lived through. Looks like it's finished now and it looks even better."

"Does look like a nice place to live," Jill agreed with a nod, but I wasn't so willing to do the same. It's true that I came from a cold place like NYC (can get really cold sometimes), but Jill came from even a colder one; she told me she grew up in Colorado, so it didn't surprise me to hear her say that.

"Not for me, that's for sure," I decided to say with a light hearted tinge in my voice. Both Rebecca and Jill turned to face me, to which I couldn't help a goofy smirk. It was really easy to joke with them... whenever we weren't surrounded by tension, that was. Rebecca smiled one last time and said,

"Come on, let's see who's around!" With nothing more, she trotted to the porch and knocked a few times on the door. Whilst I waited for her to be greeted by someone, Jill walked up to me and laid a hand on my shoulder, smirking.

"She's different when she looks at you," she told me, to which I didn't know how to reply. She wasn't implying Rebecca somehow had a crush on me, right? At least, that's what I thought until she noticed my face of surprise and hurried to make herself clear. "Not like that, stupid; you're already taken. What I meant is that you're someone very dear to her; you're like her big brother. In fact, you've always been a similar figure to a lot of people."

I was a bit impressed by what Jill had said and looked at Rebecca out of instinct. One thing connected to another one inside my mind, which made me realize how important I was to those who met me. It always happened; sooner or later, they got a liking to me... not always, let me rephrase that. Those who know me well say I'm a very charismatic person but I never believe them, even though I get proof of it. I've always been kind of a support to many people because... of the obvious strength I have to show; leaders can never be seen breaking down in the midst of a tense situation, and that's my role.

"Well, you know my 'emotional-support-figure' complex, don't you?" I said, teasing, and Jill chuckled. "But Rebecca's different overall; she's changed a lot since we last saw her."

"Speaking of that last time," Jill piped up, making me feel curious, "you might not remember, but I _did_ listen to the conversation you and her had after she woke up from her nightmare. You've got a Master's Degree in Consolation and Mind Management."

I couldn't hold back a fit of laughter. "I mean, you were _really _listening? I can't believe you, Valentine; you got a lot of quirks."

"It did some good to my mind, too," she said, her tone sincere, "and it helped me sleep afterwards. You've always had a very sound sleep, but I tend to wake up at the slightest of sounds and with the zombies moaning outside..." Jill sighed, "I didn't get too much of a chance to rest at first."

I understood what she meant by that. There had been a time when I myself had been like her, a very light sleeper that awoke at even the buzz of a fly. It had been many years ago, during the time when Claire and I were trying to pull through after our parents' death... it was a very, very rough patch.

"Well, I'm glad I did something," I said at last, punching Jill's shoulder lightly. "You might've heard the 'I'm no psychologist' part?"

"I didn't believe it," she shot back with a wink. Before I could snap out of my temporary confusion, Jill walked forward and climbed up the stairs to the porch, looked inside the house and was welcomed by whoever was inside: Rebecca and, surely, the rest of her family. Jill's words left me to wonder something that I did ponder years later.

If I could help others, why couldn't I help _myself_?

"Chris!" Rebecca exclaimed, waving at me from the door. "Are you coming or what? You're a popular topic here!" She vanished with a smile and I followed with a disbelieving smile on my face. Popular topic, why? I made my way inside the house, Jill stepped aside and Rebecca beamed at me as she made me face... a lot of people. Simply, I didn't expect that lot of her family there, but they were though. I was suddenly introduced to her younger brothers, Matt and Kyle -nineteen year old twins-, and finally her parents, Jack and Rose. I suspected both of them to be in their late forties, their hair already going gray at some zones, and man... didn't that get to me.

Jill caught my hint as fast as lightning... because I had dropped it: a short, sideways glance at her.

"So you're her so acclaimed best friend? It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Redfield," Jack said as we shook hands. Wait, best friend? And that was why I was the popular topic around the Chambers family. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I shook my head.

"Just Chris; I don't want to think myself older than I already am," I said, sprinkling a bit of humor. To be honest, I didn't do well with jokes but that one was instinctive. Jack beamed at me and then Rebecca, eyebrows raised and skeptic expression, told me,

"Chris, you're just twenty-eight and you call yourself old?" Matt and Kyle stood up from their seats and each one slung an arm around Rebecca's shoulders, their brown gazes staring down at her older sister. Whilst I did consider them to be good people, too bad they both reminded me too much of a certain duo Jill and I were friends with a long time ago.

"Talk about yourself with your age complex!" said the two at the unison, and Rebecca flushed a deep shade of red as both twins burst out laughing. Jack shot them a reproaching look, Rose simply smiled and Rebecca shook their arms off, all in the midst of complaints and laughs. For a moment, I couldn't help feeling a bit envious of how lucky Rebecca was, but she deserved to be around a family like hers; I didn't have a say in the matter and never would.

"Sorry about our trio; they tend to get mad at each other like this," Rose told Jill and me as Jack engaged in a peaceful conversation with Rebecca and the twins. I smiled, understanding perfectly what it meant to be bickering with a sibling.

"Noisy, they are," I piped up, "but that shows how well they can get along." I motioned at the siblings with a hand and a shrug, then noticed how much of a scrutinizing gaze Rose had. The twins had both inherited her brown gaze, but Rose's seemed much more intense that the twins' could ever get to be. I didn't feel too pleased during the few seconds that went by, a moment which was fortunately broken by Rebecca's voice.

"Mom, I'm gonna have a look at the back with Mattle and dad, okay?" she said before disappearing. Rose nodded as a response, the rest of the family left, and we stayed inside with her.

"Can I get you something? Please, make yourselves at home."

"Thank you," Jill said in her and my behalf. Not that I couldn't speak, just that I couldn't find the right thing to say. What happened to me was like something that might happen to someone else: once you look at them in the eyes, you realize how much of an influence they can be to you. I didn't even think Rose would influence me in any way but something in my mind clicked, something I couldn't figure out.

Jill took a seat on the couch but I remained standing beside her, a hand tucked inside a pocket. Soon, I knew what to say; the question just came instantly.

"Ms. Chambers, how much has Rebecca told you about us?" I asked as Jill glanced up at me with an amused look. We heard Rose chuckling from the other room, then came inside with a light smile and sat down in the armchair beside the couch.

"Like you said before, just call me Rose," she said at first, "and Rebecca told me too much about you two. Nostalgia got the best of her during a short period of time: her first problems with university and social life revolved around the memory of you. She wasn't herself for a couple of months, maybe three or four, and I understand why; both Jack and I do."

"I'm sorry that happened to Rebecca," Jill said, a frown visible on her face. I decided to listen, not to make any comments; I just listened. Rose shook off Jill's apology with a shrug.

"No need to be," she said. "You did all you could."

"In fact, we'd like to thank you for being such a support for Rebecca." Neither of us expected Jack's sudden appearance; he pulled over a chair and sat next to Rose, his gaze intent and curious. Once more, I had a bit of a hunch: where had I seen this man before? "She had always been a lonely girl, many times stereotyped at school, hence the lack of experience with people, but she also had her flair and charm when she got along with someone else. To tell you the truth, I hadn't seen her so open until she met you; at least, that's what it seems, isn't it?"

"I wasn't exactly brilliant and I didn't have much friends at school, either," I intervened. "I don't know about you, Jill, but I think we tried to make her feel at home, right?"

"She didn't make it into the unit because of nothing, that's for sure," she replied, flashing a faint smile at me. As she turned to Rose, she explained, "We saw a bit of what you've just said. When she was in S.T.A.R.S., she tended to get nervous around us; she was always willing to please."

"I was the one who showed her around so that she got used to the RPD ambient," I spoke with a nod. "Some of the guys were quite a handful so the less uncomfortable she felt, the better."

"I guess that's why you've taken a liking to each other, eh?" Jill said, her tone sly, and oh how I wished I hadn't caught the hint. Rose and Jack laughed and despite I wanted to frown at Jill, I couldn't and shook my head.

"Don't embarrass me or I'll do the same. I mean, what's gotten to you?"

"It's alright, we understand," Rose said, calling our attention. Once I looked at her again, I noticed her expression had become a bit darker. "What we've always wanted to know, and I hope you don't mind my asking, is if all that happened in Raccoon City was true. We know the media tried to cover it up on the company's behest, but we still couldn't help but feel distrustful of everything. Did it really happen?"

"It happened, yes. If not, ask the many witnesses that were turned into abominations because of them."

I replied without hesitation. The truth was meant to be known, it _needed_ to be known: Umbrella was still alive but with a greatly damaged reputation. The Raccoon City disaster was still a hot topic those days, especially with TerraSave's rise, its increasing popularity and activism, but what changed our lives had been swept under the rug like it had never happened. The 'murders' in Raccoon became a very important piece of news during their lasting period, hence why it reached the other states, and along with it came the 'S.T.A.R.S. Fiasco', as reporters of the Raccoon Times had published it, a headline I had read with disgust and anger.

Jill remained silent though serene, and the only gaze that met mine was Rose's. I could see disbelief in there, relief and horror, concern; all, I knew, because of Rebecca. I sighed, lowering my gaze, thinking about all those that had died because of the company and its abominations. I knew Jill was thinking the same as me, and because of that I knew that I'd have to do the talking this time. Jack remained serene but Rose stared at me with wide eyes, and I was reminded of her being Rebecca's mother: to think that a parent would survive his child was a horrifying thought for me... and maybe, though not always, for everyone that fathered children.

"After she came back from the city," said Rose, her voice thin, "she wasn't herself, but not only because of the nostalgia; that came afterwards. I took care of her whilst Jack was abroad, and I swear I thought she wasn't my daughter. I'd never seen her so traumatized by an event and now I somehow understand the magnitude of that incident. I have to know: what happened?"

As I took my time to reply, I cringed inwardly. Like I'd told Rebecca, Jill and I were capable and cool-headed enough to go through disasters like Raccoon's or the Mansion's, but with Rebecca was much different: she was younger, more unexperienced and nervous. Imagining how hard it must've been both for her and Rose didn't help me to come up with something to say; at least, something that didn't sound too harsh. Yet if they wanted the truth, so be it. I knew Jill wasn't going to say anything, so I spoke in our place.

"You got to know about the murders that had occurred in the city and how our service was called in to investigate, correct?" I asked at first to get the thread of conversation on. "In July, in the late hours of the 23rd, Bravo team was sent in to investigate at the Arklay forest. They suffered from an engine failure, were forced to land and that's when it started. Rebecca discovered a crashed train, an Umbrella train, the Ecliptic Express. After encountering a pack of mutated Dobermans, you can guess how everything went to hell."

During the small pause I made, Rose said, "Yes, I remember her telling me about that."

"Then I guess we can skip that part," Jill intervened as she looked up at me. I didn't think she'd talk, but I was proven wrong. "We, Alpha team, were sent in after we lost communication with Bravo. Upon arrival to the crash site, we located the fallen helicopter and were attacked by the same creatures. We took refuge in a mansion, one of our teammates killed and another MIA. Once we delved deeper into the building, we discovered it was an Umbrella laboratory in which a leak of the T-virus had occurred."

"Wasn't the T-virus the one that turned people into zombies?" Jack piped up, signs of distress across his features. Jill nodded as screams and moans echoed in my head. I remembered how a Hunter had been about to kill Rebecca; hadn't it been for my readiness, we would be talking about her and would've celebrated her funeral already.

"It was that virus, yes," I confirmed, "which did what you were suspecting. Aside from that, we also found out that our captain had betrayed us all, had spun a web out of which we couldn't make it out until the very end. He was KIA in front of my eyes after he injured Rebecca; fortunately, she was wearing a bulletproof vest and came out unharmed. Minutes later, we were flying away from the mansion after the self-destruct system was activated. We lost every single one of our teammates there. Once we got back to the RPD and reported this to our chief, we were disbanded."

"My God..." Rose breathed out, taking her hands to her mouth. I didn't even bother to tell them about Brad or how Wesker was still alive; I knew they'd learn about the last fact sooner or later. Also, because Wesker concerned me and me alone. "Why disbanded? I can't believe they didn't take you seriously, not after all you went through!"

"Chief Irons was being bribed by Umbrella to keep quiet about the experiments carried out in that facility. Umbrella even had underground laboratories in the city and there occurred the leak that sent all of Raccoon City to Hell itself," Jill said without pausing. "Chris, I and Rebecca barely made it out of there before the missile annihilated the city."

Then, I couldn't help a light, encouraging smile. "You might've said Rebecca was not like we always saw her but during the outbreak, she proved to be stronger than both of us together."

"And he's right." Ah, Jill, always making my points right. I didn't mean to underestimate ourselves of course, but one had to consider that Rebecca was not like us, at least in the beginning. She was eighteen, fresh out of university and the academy, and she was plunged into that hellish nightmare. Jill and I had spent more time in S.T.A.R.S. and had gone through experiences ourselves before the unit, like Jill during her temporary training with the Delta Force and mine during the Air Force years.

I took a seat next to Jill before Jack said, "I think we both see where she got the strength to pull through, don't we Rose?" That's when I started getting suspicious. I could've sworn right there and then that I didn't know why Jack had said that, but then I got my explanation coming from no other than Jill.

"Yeah, we do get the strength, don't we?"

It clicked. "You're not talking about _him_, right?" That him was surely me.

"Why do you think you caught my attention since the first time you stepped here?" Rose asked me, and I was a bit taken aback. "As I told you before, Rebecca told me a lot about you and I told her I wanted to know should the chance of you visiting us presented itself. She kept telling and telling like there was no end to her testimony. You caused a very good first impression."

I chuckled. "She did that?" Rose nodded as Jill nudged my side; soon I felt her taking my hand. I couldn't believe where this conversation was going.

"I always had a bit of a gift to see how people were just as a first glance, though that's deceived me a few times," she said, "though it worked with you. I didn't even need to know your name: I knew you were Chris."

"I've never thought myself as too much of a supporter," I replied, shaking my head. "Maybe just through the actions I did unconsciously is where Rebecca got that impression. We went through situations and problems during which you can't allow yourself any kind of distraction, be it a feeling or an emotion."

"The mindset of many leaders," Jack agreed. "I'm a retired Brigadier General of the USAF and hell, don't I know what it means to think like you. Though both services are far off from being similar, leadership is something common to them both."

"I'm an unofficial leader, to put it like that, but it's how we think," I agreed, smiling. "But wait just a second, when did you retire?"

"Seven years ago, the ceremony of October, 1995," Jack replied, and my eyes grew wide. That was such a familiar date, so familiar... hell, I had lived through it! "Why?"

"Because I was discharged with no honors whatsoever that same month and year!" I replied between chuckles. "I can't believe I didn't notice you earlier. And I was wondering about the hunch I had all this time."

"Who were we talking about?" Jill piped up, her question rhetorical.

"C'mon, you know reminiscing can do something," I told her, shaking my head in disappointment. She could be a spoilsport whenever she wanted, and Jill was good at destroying moods sometimes. "But you're right, okay. Returning to Rebecca, it looks like she did get some strength from you."

"She didn't see me often," Jack told us, his face changing all of a sudden, "but I admit I rubbed off on her some habits and wonts."

"Though that's a common thing between parents and children, she's that special," Jill spoke up with a kind smile. Jill was never one to flatter mindlessly: if she had said that about Rebecca, it was because she deserved it and Jill thought saying that as correct. Though I wondered... what had gotten into her?

"You flatter me, Jill." Another unexpected appearance: Rebecca was at the door, Matt and Kyle behind her and seemingly impressed. If they had heard about Rebecca's experience, then they would have something to boast about. I was already picturing that. "I did hear this conversation. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

"It's alright, hon," said Rose, fidgeting surreptitiously with some locks of her brown hair. "We had to know, you have to understand that."

"And I do," Rebecca agreed. "I couldn't bring myself to tell you all of this, not after seeing how I was."

I shifted my stance, staring at Rebecca, and told her, "You could've done it right now."

I didn't even know why I said what I said because it earned me a hard stare from Rebecca. I didn't allow that to make me take my words back but she pressed further and asked, "And how do you know that?"

"Who was the one who stayed with you _that_ night?" I asked her in return, my tone solid. "Who was the one who thought she should be proud of herself? I hope you haven't forgotten that, Rebecca."

Something that I'd found out about Rebecca -one of her surely many quirks- was that she disliked people making assumptions about her, whether it was in the good sense or in the bad. Of course, I wasn't claiming to know everything about her but by how her face mellowed, I thought she'd caught my point; well, I'd made it clear enough.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You kinda know more about me that you about yourself."

"Tends to happen, you know that," I agreed with nonchalance. For some reason unknown to me, silence followed my words. I kept feeling Rebecca's gaze upon me for another unfathomable reason; so many questions and so many answers, and in an ambient such as this one.

"Not meant to be a psychologist, huh?" Rebecca said at last, a question that made me smile. "I guess you understand more of other's minds-"

"Than your own," we said at the unison. A sudden feeling of warmth assailed my chest; I was glad she hadn't forgotten about that saying and that bit of advice. Jack raised his gaze to Rebecca, a gesture to which she replied, "Just an old saying, dad, just an old saying."

As Rebecca smiled once more, her smile wide and sincere, a question came to my mind, a question to which I couldn't find an answer myself, one that had been present since the very beginning. If I could help others, why couldn't I help _myself_? I still didn't get an answer.

With time, I learned why. The concept of hive-mind didn't sound too appealing to me, but that's what it seemed with everyone that I knew. I didn't have my own mind, so to speak, because my influence was inside everyone that met me. Traces of my personality were here and there, always, no matter what happened. Why couldn't I help myself _on my own_?

Because I was all the people that knew me. Helping them meant helping myself. Still, as I reached that conclusion, my mind corrected my words and rephrased them. I met Rebecca once again a few years later, also along with Jill, and my mind said one thing and one thing only.

Helping Rebecca, helping _her_, meant helping myself.

Why? Because we were family.

* * *

_A/N: So, here you go, your little gift. Sorry I couldn't get anything else ready, but I really hope this works and that you like it. Was a bit hard considering the end and Chris' point of view, but I think I did well (Namesake Rights, eh? xD) _

_Go on, enjoy your day, and forget about me for once xD Happy Birthday, once again!^^  
_


	3. Chapter III: Falling Stars

**Author's Note: **Well, getting on a roll today: two updates in one day. Anyway, I'm SO sorry this took so long, especially towards you, Rin; I'm a lazy one here xDDD Not laziness per se, but you know what's been going on. Nevertheless, it's here, and there's also the special chapter on the way, so keep an eye out! I hope this pleases you as well as the rest of the readers, so enjoy!^^

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters.**

**

* * *

**III

Falling Stars

_'A friend is a second self.' Aristotle_

**December 31st, 2009**

"Stargazing?"

That was a question that came from me and Jill at the same time. Both she and I looked at Chris as if he'd spoken the impossible but he just stood there, hands tucked inside his pockets and staring back at us with an amused expression of normalcy. I did like the idea though; it was something that reminded me of the nights I'd spent upon my home's roof with my father, Matt and Kyle, hearing dad's stories of constellations and Greek legends that were related to them. I still remember that one from Orion and maybe even that one of Cassiopeia, but I don't really know anymore.

"Dunno, doesn't sound like a bad idea, does it?" Jill agreed in the end, looking at me with a shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, I'm sure there's one around here who will be more than glad to refresh our memory, isn't there?" Dropping the hint, Jill glanced sideways at Chris, who gave a half-hearted laugh and shrugged with a wide smirk that threatened to transform into a smile.

"Oh yeah, I can please the ladies with my vast knowledge," he teased before avoiding an imaginary punch from Jill.

"Always the gentleman, Chris," she shot back as she approached him and nudged his arm.

All of a sudden they started bickering and I couldn't help an inner smile. I didn't really pay attention to the content of the conversation but to the fact that they were talking so light-heartedly, like there were no worries at all, which it was kinda the situation. It brought back some memories that were welcome and unwelcome at the same time: ten years ago I had returned to my hometown in Michigan and was getting over a hard crisis, caused by the incident at Raccoon City. Even now, it's still burned into my mind.

Chris' and Jill's situation was much more complicated than mine though. Just recently I'd been told of what had happened in Africa and mostly all about what Jill had gone through during her captivity. Testimonies aside, I got proof of what had happened myself when I was appointed to be Jill's doctor. I spent months looking after her, giving her all the support she needed but not even Chris, who was with me most of the time, could do anything at first. In the beginning it was a matter of waiting for her to come to terms with herself. She spoke of guilt and hurt, sometimes begged to be alone and others to be in company, until she finally came out of her cocoon. And thanks to whom?

As I expected, as everyone expected, it was thanks to Chris.

As I thought, I looked at him. Sometimes I still think of the Chris I met eleven years ago before the mansion incident because I somehow yet miss that former personality of his. Not that he'd changed dramatically, but at that time there was no sorrow and weariness in his eyes, though it could've all remained like that in exchange of his naivety. To be honest, none of us really expected what happened back at the mansion and since I tended and still tend to worry more about others than myself, from the moment I saw Chris stride out of Irons' office after coming back home, I knew he had instantly become a different person.

Not much of that change was noticeable over the years. Then again, I hadn't spent as much time with him as Jill had, but I could still judge on my own after they both told me about everything. It made me see to what lengths a person could go for something or someone, and I learned a lot from them both. Of course I do have my own experience but sometimes you can't help accepting the influence others have on you. With time, I also realized how complicated our friendship was. I never saw Chris like a 'normal' person, I reminded myself, since there's a lot more to him that meets the eye at first. I've been one of the few to know about that first-hand.

I stepped into my living room, caught Chris and Jill talking over some 'preparations'; most likely of our stargazing experience of a near future. As I neared them, I heard Chris saying, "I should've remembered about the meteor showers. Damn, that would've been nice to see, especially the Ursids. They're not very visible but it would be worth a shot, if..." he trailed away, leaving me with a bit of curiosity to deal with.

"If what?" I asked.

"If it wasn't the thirty-first," he replied. "They tend to appear between the seventeenth and the twenty-sixth, so if you make the calculations..."

"We missed it," Jill concluded with a disappointed sigh. I couldn't do anything else but shrug: oh well, another chance would come. "Meh, whatever, stargazing is enough in itself, so it's all right."

"I know of a nice place to go," I piped up, placing myself next to Jill. "There's a neat forest behind this area and just a bit further in, a good hill to post ourselves up. It's not much, but it's best than going up to my roof," I explained, adding the last bit with a nervous laugh.

Chris shrugged, seemingly content with my answer. "It's perfect. We're not going to see something big, but-"

"It'll be enough," Jill cut in, nodding firmly. If there was something I had picked up from Jill was that she really wanted things to be simple. Of course, it was obvious that every girl liked special things, but she was from a different branch. Oh, and I say this because I did know they were in a relationship... that much was obvious too. It had all resurfaced after Jill went back to her former self, but now she's biased: there are no absolutes to her personality. What she told me and what I wouldn't forget about was that she would never be one way or another, that she'd agree with an in-between, and I respected her decision.

"Valentine dixit," Chris agreed with a smile. "Do we have anything of help around?" he then asked me, which made me think about what I had stored somewhere in a corner of my home. In the end I remembered that I had a few pairs of binoculars around; if Chris found that enough, then we were good to go.

"I have a few pairs of binoculars," I told him, "if that's enough. We never thought of buying a decent telescope, so... yeah."

"That's alright; it'll be more than enough," he replied, nodding. "I think it's a decent time to start getting ready, just so we have everything prepared. Any complaints?"

"None at all," Jill said, voicing her and my opinion at the same time. She looked at me. "I'll help you get everything; if we're going to stay some time around, then I might as well get familiarized with the place." I nodded this time. I really didn't have any problem with showing Jill around and she had a point, too.

"Okay, sure."

"Anything I can do on my side?" asked Chris, and then I just couldn't help but laugh at Jill's joke. Eying him sideways and with one eyebrow arched, she told him,

"Leave this to us; we women have a better sense of direction around houses. You wouldn't last five seconds." At this, Chris mock-winced at her remark and took a hand to his chest, faking he was hurt.

"Ouch, that hurt my feelings, Jill. I never knew you were such a sexist," he told her, his tone one of amused disbelief. "And for your information, and we have Rebecca here as a witness, I've been more than two hours here and I haven't tripped even over my own lace, so keep the comments for yourself, will you?"

Jill let her shoulders slump, her head hanging backwards in a defeated stance. "Aw, broken ego, huh? Shall I help you fix it?"

"You will fix it if you get out of my sight, now get lost!"

For a very brief instant I thought it would transform in more than friendly banter, but Jill's good-natured laughter took all uneasiness away. Chris and I chuckled at Jill's outburst, and her beaming smile told me all was well. I motioned at Jill to follow me and to my surprise, they actually seemed to be piqued; I suddenly knew they'd keep bickering like the good friends they were, or maybe more if I may rephrase that. Jill followed me down the stairs to the basement, where I kept most of the things that didn't fit in the rest of the house. We didn't take long to find what we were looking for.

"Just a couple of them..." I said, fishing out some binoculars from an old box. "Guess we'll have to share. I hope that's not a problem." Jill shook her head and before leaving upstairs again, she asked me,

"You have in mind what day it is today, right?"

Momentarily confused, I didn't say anything but then it clicked. "Yeah, I know which day it is. What do you have for him?" I met Jill's gaze, which had a subliminal message aside from the one it was sending to me: it was like "Tell him and you're done for". I didn't plan to spoil anything though; the best for everyone. Before telling me, Jill sighed.

"That's a quirk men have; you don't quite know what to give them," she told me at first, "but at least I got an idea out of one of his monologues. You should hear him talking to himself sometimes; it's like someone else is with him."

I smiled at the fact, already picturing Chris pacing around his room and speaking out loud. In the end I didn't get to know what she'd got him, but no worries: I would find out later on. I had never forgotten about Chris' birthday and in fact had been the day when my thoughts were entirely on him. **Not** in the sense you imagine.

I really wasn't myself throughout all the years I wasn't with Chris and Jill. Though I couldn't do anything about it, I still kept wondering about them, trying my best to help in some way. The first months after Raccoon City were hellish for me. Of course, I tried to get back to my studies, get a job or something to get my life back on track, but not even with the help of my parents I could pull through: nightmares kept assailing my mind, twisted nightmares that left me incredibly traumatized. I never told my parents about them -or maybe just a few times- because there was nothing they could do, not at that time. I knew I had to let go of the memories I clung onto because I had no choice but to, though not even that helped.

Four years of lost contact went by, four years during which I didn't seem to get better no matter what. Though I could get back to living a normal life back with my family, I knew I would never be the same. It's obvious that what happened would change our lives forever but I noticed that my changes were almost dramatic. I never lost some sides of my personality, that I wouldn't allow, yet I lost all naivety and the ability -and at the same time fault- of trusting someone quickly; I became much sharper and skeptical, and that change cost me a few old friendships that I didn't want to lose. Still, I knew the change was meant to happen.

By 2002, I finally came in contact with Chris and Jill. It was what I needed, especially hearing his. It was one of those moments when you can't help thinking about all the good and the bad things that have gone between you and one you hold close to you, and that moment just happened to me. It came with such intensity that I was almost moved to tears; yes, I could still cry out of raw joy. I still remember how strong he embraced me when we met up at the motel; with them around, it was the first time in years that I felt truly safe. And now I think you know how seriously I take the concept of 'friendship'.

Jill and I returned back upstairs. As she stepped inside the living room, starting a conversation with Chris that I didn't hear, I also walked inside and set the binoculars upon a drawer... more like accidentally. It was a drawer upon which I kept old photographs of me, my family and the first photograph Bravo team all took together after my arrival and promotion into the team. Nostalgia got hold of me as I looked at this last photograph, smiling feebly at the sight of Richard, who sported his ever-present amiable smile and had an arm slung around my shoulders. At my right side was Joseph, who was promoted to Alpha soon after I got into Bravo, showing the 'V' sign and with his other hand upon my head; it was then that I noticed how much he had ruffled my hair. Out of instinct I sighed, oblivious to Chris approaching me from behind.

His hands fell upon my shoulders, something I didn't realize until a few seconds later. Contrary to what I would've done, I grew a bit tenser, telling myself that had all been left behind. Squaring my shoulders properly, I was about to talk when Chris beat me to it and said, "Good thing your shoulders don't droop."

I couldn't help but smile at his remark. "I can take care of myself," I shot back, smiling back at him. "I don't have a Ph.D for nothing, don't you think?" Whilst Chris cocked an amused eyebrow at me, I heard Jill exclaim from behind us,

"Speaking of that, how did it go?" she asked me. "I know it's a bit late to ask, but better late than ever."

I shrugged. "Not bad, actually."

"Not bad, you say?" Chris echoed, taking a step back and staring at me up and down. I couldn't help but to keep a poker face at him. "You could've used another choice of words, you whiz. If it were me, fine, but you..."

"Stop with the flattery; my lights can go off and you know that perfectly," I interrupted him with a sudden laugh. "But back to what I was saying, whilst it wasn't all that bad, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows... like nothing is, actually. I took a bit more than normal with the thesis because there were some facts that, according to the board, weren't concrete or weren't developed enough and blah, blah, blah. In the end, I got it my way, and I'm an official Ph.D," I told them both, absentmindedly gesturing with my hands.

"Typical boards, eh Jill?" Chris murmured, turning his head back at Jill, who nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'd better not remind you, right? Hey, the sun's already set!" he suddenly exclaimed as he looked outside. I imitated his action and indeed noticed the moon starting to rise upon the sky. "I'm more than ready; I'm waiting for you to say something."

"Then what are _we_ waiting for?" Jill piped up, looking at me with a gleam of complicity in her eyes which made me shake my head. And then, before I could notice, we were already stepping through my door and trotting away from the housing development, nicely wrapped up to protect ourselves from the deadly cold nights of the North.

It didn't take us long to get to the forest since, as I had said, it wasn't too far away, and aside from that we were all experienced when it came to fast treks. Having that fact into account, we crossed it with no problems but it all transpired in silence. Though I had the feeling we had nothing to talk about along the way, it was also because trekking also had its rules: it was better to keep in silence while walking. That way, you saved more energy and didn't get tired as early as if you did otherwise. That's what amateurs do, and don't take me as a pompous person.

I had taken the lead, which gave me quite the upper hand since I had started thinking to myself, and I very well knew my expression tended to noticeably change when I did so. I didn't think about much else than Chris and Jill, though I focused on her first. I peeked back at her as surreptitiously as possible, catching sight of her blanched but healthy visage and bright eyes. Just with that glance at her I could determine she was doing much better than before, but in my opinion... who didn't get better with Chris around? Of course, all who knew him were aware of his being a thin pane of glass like we all are in fact, but it's just his presence that achieves to lighten your mood.

As I rubbed the sides of my neck against the collar of my thick parka -just to keep myself warmer-, I unconsciously sped up and it was because of my sudden tiredness that I noticed, not only because Chris caught up with me and pulled me into a friendly chokehold with his arm. And my God, don't I hate that.

"A bit of respect for the elders," said Jill from behind us. I didn't miss Chris' baffled expression as Jill walked past us both: he literally stayed gawking at her in surprise for more than two seconds. Slowly, he released me and didn't lay his eyes off her.

"Unbelievable, Valentine... who's the one cracking age jokes now?" he asked, falling in line behind her. He turned to me. "Remember: don't remind her about the white hairs she's hiding." Whilst I suppressed a full-fledged guffaw, it was Jill this time who stopped in her tracks and glared daggers at Chris at the same time he played innocent. I had never seen such a wide-eyed expression on her face though not of surprise or annoyance, maybe something of a mix between the two, but the fact was that it was both hilarious and relieving. It indeed looked like she'd regained the sense of humor she'd always had.

"Well, my problem's with _this _hair," she said, tugging at a few locks of her hair, "and if I'm reminded, at least I don't whine like a kid."

"Like I need something else to _hide _it!" Chris shot back with a smirk before rolling his eyes. "But I mean, really, who're we kidding?" he then admitted with a smile. "We're all getting older; I myself don't feel like before."

"Obviously, none of us do, but hey!" I chimed in, somehow reminding myself that I was already thirty years old. "We're still the same, right? Look at me, for example: I'm -sadly- already thirty and I'm still fresh. It would surprise me if you two disagreed with me about yourselves." I don't know why, but I reeled that off like it was nothing. It was natural; I couldn't hold back any thoughts and/or opinions -behind a certain limit- in front of them, and it was because of that quirk that Chris chuckled.

"You're right about still being ourselves, but I don't think I've ever seen you this optimistic," he told me raising an eyebrow, gesture that made me shrug and smile. Something in Chris caught my attention for a moment, something I didn't really know how to describe, but it was something that made me smile inwardly. Without another word, we climbed up the remaining stretch of the hill and reached the top, where I took the liberty to look up at the sky as I leaned up against the tree that stood there. The place suddenly reminded me of my own rooftop and of the times I'd gone up there alone to let silence lull me to sleep. I remember I even dozed off up there once, woke up in the middle of the night shivering like crazy and with an obvious cold to bother me for the next week. Out of some miracle that I didn't think that happened, I didn't catch pneumonia.

"Would you look at that..." Chris' voice brought me out of my reverie and both Jill and me focused our attention on him. He looked at me. "It's good you know this place. Far from lights, clear... it's perfect."

I cringed in mock-annoyance and winced. "I _hate_ that word with all my might, so don't say it again," I told him, fending off a bleak smile. With half a smile of his own, Chris tilted his head at me and asked,

"How so?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I guess it brings back too much for my taste," I replied, leaving the binoculars at the foot of the tree and sitting down. I sighed. "But it's fine, I don't really care much."

"Doesn't this place bring back a lot in itself?" Jill intervened, her features mellowing as she looked up at the starry sky.

"I remember the last time I was in a place like this or I saw a sight like this one. It was recent too, but it was different."

I sensed a wistful tinge in her words and my mind wandered off to think whilst Jill sat to my right, her expression pensive. Chris remained in his place, his demeanor showing a bit of his uneasiness. I had a hunch and was about to ask about it when Chris spoke for me.

"Was it during...?"

I understood why he didn't want to finish his question. Jill caught his hint instantly, so did I, since we both knew what he was referring to. Jill nodded. I noticed how downbeat her mood seemed -or perhaps not her mood but her eyes, like she was remembering something she wanted and didn't want to think about. I knew that feeling very well.

"Yes, it was during that period," she replied as if nothing. "Strangely enough, and don't ask me why I think about him, he accompanied me that night. It was different: I was at ease yet I still kept fighting." A pause. "It was the first time I... realized our efforts were not in vain." She smiled, nervous. "Sorry if I think about this, but it seems it happened... such a long time ago."

I witnessed how much she cared about Chris. I didn't feel ignored, yet I knew Jill wasn't taking me into account. I was aware of how much Chris had helped her, so it was normal that she felt obliged to be careful around him when talking about sensitive matters like her captivity. Chris also smiled as he sat to my left, a glint of glee in his eyes.

"I know, you don't have to explain yourself," he said. "Looking back, it seems like..."

"A bad dream with elements that affected reality to extents we couldn't have imagined," I said for him, not even thinking about what I said. "Now it's just looking back and asking yourself: 'That actually happened?' You laugh at it, at how worried you were about everything, how much you went through... At the same time you... you laugh at it, you also have it mind, keep the experiences close to you so that you don't forget."

"It all had its good side," Chris said, nudging my arm, "despite we could barely see it many times."

"That was Joseph's catchphrase, like his personal motto," Jill piped up, leaning forward to look at both of us. "Yeah, I haven't forgotten about that."

I threw my arms into the air. "Who would? Especially when he joked around you two and Chris got all nervous," I replied, shooting him a sly sideways glance. Jill chuckled at what I said whilst Chris shrugged coyly. "He wasn't wrong about that; it's like he saw the future."

"Hello? I'm still here!" Chris suddenly exclaimed, moving his hand in front of my face. "It's not funny and not something you wanna talk about."

"Why not? I mean, it's not like I laughed or anything! I could see it miles away!" I teased between chuckles. "We _all_ knew you'd stick like paper and glue." It was Jill this time who nudged me, frowning at me with good intentions.

"Alright, stop making the man nervous."

"I'm not getting nervous!" Chris protested, stiffening. "I'm just..." Finding himself at a loss for words, Chris sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright, it kinda got to me. I'm not snooping around your love-life, Rebecca, so stop getting into ours."

"Now that is one hell of an unconscious confession!" I exclaimed with a face of surprise. Before Chris could protest, I said, "But I know what you mean. It's not like you were willing to keep it a secret, though, so don't blame me, you got that?"

"Yes ma'am," Chris snickered. "We're in good company; I would've been the first to shut up otherwise."

"You should see him getting beet-red," Jill added, holding back a laugh. Chris was floored.

"Okay, now we're getting _too_ far," he shot back, shaking his head. "I'm not saying another thing; I only get laughed at for it." Jill and I laughed at his reaction. In that moment, when Chris had turned his back to us, Jill walked past him and sat cross-legged in front of him, holding out a small package to him. Once I got closer, I smiled inwardly at Chris' shocked expression. He was staring in disbelief at the package, blinking rapidly and in confusion.

"What's this for?" he asked, making Jill crack a smile.

"Alright, you smarty-pants, what day is it today?" she asked back, good-natured. Chris blinked two more times and then face-palmed, chuckling.

"I get it, but what I don't get is why the heck you wasted money on me," he said, once more shaking his head.

"What _I _don't get is how could you forget about your own birthday, Chris," I piped up, sitting next to them both with a smirk. "I didn't know your memory was getting that bad."

He shrugged. "Oh well, Alzheimer is already getting to me."

Right after saying that, we all burst into a carefree fit of laughter, mine being the shortest. I couldn't help but glancing at them both somehow dreamily, feeling lucky of having them as friends. Of course I've had time to think about this, but this was the first time I'd been at such ease with them. As far as I remembered, since Wesker came back and Umbrella was still on the go, Chris had never smiled and whenever he did, the gesture was full of sorrow, bleak and almost forced. Seeing him like this was a rare sight, even for those who were closest to him. After all, Chris had always been a very strange man, one of a kind.

"Anyway," Chris said after calming down, "what's inside? What's this for?"

"Only one way to find out," Jill claimed, clapping down her hands on her knees. Chris didn't take long to open the package and it was then when I knew what Jill had bought for him: a scarf. Out of the few I had seen from him, this seemed like the one that would fit him the most. It was plain for the most part, navy blue with a few golden-colored patterns sewn on both ends. Chris stared at it with a grateful expression.

"I was planning to get this one!" he exclaimed, then looking up at Jill. "Gap, right?"

"Gap all the way," she spoke with a nod. And here I said,

"Damned Gap at every corner..." I said it in a low tone, still high enough for both of them to hear, and Chris laughed once more.

"That's from 'Friends'!" he piped up. "I remember seeing that one this summer. Lucky chance they aired that ep again."

We engaged into another friendly conversation, all problems and birthday gifts forgotten. I had never felt at such ease before, never laughed so much at simple, trivial jokes. I guess it was all because we'd never gotten the chance to do it, to laugh and forget about our problems with nothing to bring them back to our minds. I felt safe; I couldn't describe it otherwise without using the same words over and over again. The feeling was the same every time.

In the end, we didn't stargaze as quietly as we had planned to. We barely looked at the sky and instead focused on each other; we kept talking like there was no end to the night. For a long moment, I felt sadness gnawing at me: it was a shame we hadn't done this before. The only time I remembered we had done that had been along Bravo team and some other guys. It had been a quiet night until we all decided to make some noise in the form of words, then we brought it to J's Bar. Richard and I talked a lot with Forrest randomly making some remarks and quips about which Richard complained or either laughed at. Forrest said the evening was like an integration ceremony to the S.T.A.R.S. and that I'd better enjoy myself or he would've made sure of that. Enrico intervened with a few other remarks about my admission to the team, but I literally felt at home. It was great.

There were moments I didn't want to think about but as Chris and Jill kept talking, I thought about them. They turned on my 'Pensive' mode and made me space out, until Chris called me back to reality.

"Earth to Rebecca? Mind getting off cloud nine?" I didn't catch the meaning of his words until I felt the childish, wide grin that was plastered across my face. "You seem pretty happy in your own world."

I chuckled. "It's not that. I was thinking, that's all."

"About?"

Surprisingly, my voice came natural, unchanged and gleeful. "About the guys, about the S.T.A.R.S.. I'm remembering past times along with you and they just make me think. I still miss them like you do, but... it's great to think about them." I sat up and sighed. "It doesn't sadden me, you know?"

Jill nodded. "Yeah, they're always pleasant memories to keep close to you."

Chris also sat up. "So are the people involved in them," he said with a wide smile as he slung an arm around my shoulders. "We're ready for a new beginning, a new future, and it starts today..." He looked at his wristwatch. "... First of January, twenty-ten."

"Already?" Jill wondered, surprised. Chris smiled, nodding.

I didn't know if they noticed me look up at the sky with the same dreamy, childish smile as before, but it was one of these moments when you can't help but feeling hopeful, positive, ready to embrace the new life that's coming for you and take the necessary steps to build it again. When I turned my gaze to Chris, he smirked at me with a wink of his eye.

"Happy belated 2010."

With hope, I smiled. Happy new life, perhaps_, _but I was ready to start again. I had Chris and Jill by my side; we _all_ had one another.

And that's all I ever wanted.

* * *

_A/N: So, how was it? I hope good; it took me ages to finish, so here you go^^ I hope you've liked it and see you in the next and final chapter! ('Tis a special xD)_

_Reviews are appreciated!^^  
_


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